Artificial limb



0. LE G. DILWORT-H.

ARTIFICIAL LIIVIB.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12. ms.

Patented Oct. 10,1922,

M EZQ Patented @ct. W, 1922.

Q'ITG LE GRAND 'DILWORTH, 0F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

ARTIFICIAL 1136113.

Application filed February 12, 1919. Serial Ito. 276,588.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, O'rro Ln GRAND DIL- woR'rH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Artificial Limb, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more especially to mechanism embodied in an artificial leg, and an dbject of my invention, among others, is

4 to provide a device whereby free and easy movement shall be imparted to the lower leg member and in a manner to closely iimulate the movements of a natural mem- One form of device embodying my invention and in the construction and use of which the objects herein set out, as well as others, may be attained, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of an artificial leg embodying my invention, an upper position of the lower leg member bein shown in dotted outline.

igure 2 is a detail view, scale enlarged, in section through the knee joint.

In the accompanying drawings the numeral 4 indicates the upper leg member of an artificial limb, 5 the lower leg member and'6 the foot member, the latter of which may be attached to the lower leg member in any well known manner, a rod 7, comprising no part of the present invention, extending from the upper leg member to the foot member and. being attached to said parts in a manner that will be readily understood.

Ears 8 are formed on opposite sides at-the upper end of the lower leg member, a pivot pm 9, secured in any satisfactory manner, passing into both of said ears and through loops 10 upstanding from the bottom 11 that closes the lower end of the upper leg member. A bushing 12 surrounds the pin 9, such bushing being of a metal difl'erent from that comprising the pin and the operating parts within which the bushing extends. All of the parts thus far described are of old and well known construction, and, except in connection with members to be hereinafter de scribed, form no part of my present invention.

A headed actuator in 13 is secured to and projects from the plvot 9,-the head 14 of said pin resting in a socket 16 in the outer end of an actuating plunger 15, which plunger is seated against a spring 18 inclosed within a spring case 17 seated against a step bearing 19 projecting from the inner surface of the hollow upper leg section. As shown herein this step bearing 19 is of spherical form and extends from an inserted socket 20 secured to the outer surface of the upper leg section.-

The spring case I and actuating plunger therein preferably extend approximately at an angle of forty-five degrees with respect to the actuator pin 13 when the lower leg section is in its extended position, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, and it will be seen that the actuator head 14 and step bearing 19 are so relatively located that when the head 14 has been moved to a certain extent it will pass the dead center, that is, a line extending between said head and bearing. A result of this is that when the parts .ar 1n certain relative positions the spring 18 will tend to force the lower leg member to its extended position, and when in certain other ositions the action of the spring will be to old the leg into its bent position, and as shown in dotted lines in the drawing. When the leg members are bent at the knee to assume an angle one to another, as when the wearer is in a sitting posture, the action of the spring will hold the lower limb member in this position, and the wearer does not, therefore have to exert pressure upon the floor to retain the lower limb member in this position. When the wearer arises from a sitting posture the spring will force the lower limb member to its extended position, and this will take place when the lower limb member has been moved to a comparatively small extent from its bent position, and as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 1, and the action of the spring will tend to force the lower limb member to its extended position and to operate as required in walking. This spring action imparted to the lower leg member by the mechanism herein shown and described is such as to give to the lower leg member a free and steady movement not noticeably diiierent from that obtained in the movements of natural leg members in walking.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have describedthe'principles of operation of my invention, together with the device which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but

I desire to have it understood that the device shown is only illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out by other means.

My invention is illustrated herein in connectlon with a leg and the description refers to such a member, but the invention may be readily applied to an arm member as well and equally beneficial results will be secured in connection with such member and it is, therefore, to be understood that its application to an arm will be within the spirit and intent of the invention.

I claim-- 1. An upper limb member, a lower limb member, means for pivotally connecting said members, and an actuator and a pressure member operatively connected one with the other and with one of said limb members, and means for exerting force upon said actuator to hold the lower limb member in its bent position and to force it into its extended position.

2. Upper and lower limb members, means for pivotally connecting said members, and an actuator and a pressure member operatively, connected one with the other and with one of said limb members, said pressure member being movable into difi'erent positions, and means for exerting force upon said pressure member for holding the limb members bent in one position of the pressure member and for holding said limb members extended in another position of said pressure member.

3. Upper and lower limb members, means for pivotally connecting said members, an actuator, a movably mounted pressure member operatively connected with the actuator and with the upper limb member, and means for exerting force upon said pressure mem-- ber and to hold the limb members bent in one position of the pressure member and to extend the lower limb member when the pressure member is in another position.

4. Upper and lower limb members, means for pivotally connecting said members, an actuator projecting from said pivot and secured to one of said limb members, a movabl mounted pressure member having one en in engagement with said actuator and the opposite end in engagement with one of said limb members, and means for exerting force upon said pressure member to hold said limb members bent when the pressure member is in one position and to extend the lower limb member when the pressure member is in another position.

5. Upper and lower limb members, a pin pivotally connectin said members and secured to the lower limb member, an actuator projecting laterally from said pin and in engagement with one of said limb members. and means for exerting force upon said actuator to hold the limb members bent when the actuator is in one position and to extend the lower limb member when the actuator is in another position.

6. Upper and lower limb members, means for pivotally connecting said members, an actuator member secured to and projecting from said pivot, and a movably mounted pressure member connected with said actuator and with one of said limb members and movable into positions on opposite sides of a dead center, and means for exerting force upon said pressure member.

7. Upper, and lower limb members pivotally connected, an actuator rigidly connected with one of said limb members to move therewith, a pressure member connected with said actuator and with the other of said limb members and movable into positions on opposite sides of a dead center, and means for exerting force upon said pressure member.

8. Upper and lower limb members pivotally connected, an actuator member secured to and projecting from said pivot to be rocked into different positions, a spring case mounted to rock upon a step bearing upon the upper limb member and loosely connected with said actuator to be moved thereby to opposite sides of a dead eenter and a spring seated plunger extending from said case and engaging said actuating member.

9. Upper and lower limb members, a pivot connecting said members an actuator projectinv laterally from said pivot and movable tliereby into different positions, and a yielding spring pressed pressure member projecting at an angle to said actuator and movably attached to the inner wall of one of said limb members.

10. Upper and lower limb members, a pin pivotally connecting said members, an actuator projecting laterally from said pin lengthwise of the chamber in the upper limb member, and a yielding spring pressed pressure member loosely connected with said actuator and projecting at an angle therefrom and pivotally attached to the inner wall of the up er limb member.

OTTO E GRAND DILWORTH. 

